American Journal of Water Resources

In this study, the river management modelling was analysed based on ecology at a critical approach. Our laws and legal arrangements that are one of the significant water resources, affect our river management. This modelling obtains these laws and legal arrangement’s effective and problems. These problems create to ensure ecological sustainability. So, we used SWOT analysis for the existing laws and institutions. Also we discussed the methodological approaches that the protection of nature is important taking a decision and runtime for the place of the institutional structuring. The river management modelling develops for our country from taking the European Water Framework Directive’s knowledge. In addition, to ensure the monitoring of ecological criteria which constitutes important basis for planning of watershed, vegetation, aquatic wildlife and coastal land use systematic recommendations have been created. Development of the river management and application can be settled in our country. The river management is also important for our energy about natural life and transportation.

American Journal of Water Resources. 2014, 2(3), 71-73. DOI: 10.12691/ajwr-2-3-3
Pub. Date: July 28, 2014

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Statistical Analysis of the Hydrogeochemical Evolution of Groundwater in the Rangampeta area, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, South India

by A. Nagaraju, K. Sunil Kumar, A. Thejaswi and Z. Sharifi

Original Research

Multivariate statistical techniques involving factor analysis (FA) and R-mode hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were performed on 30 groundwater samples from Rangampeta, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, South India to extract principal processes controlling the water chemistry. The groundwater samples were analyzed for distribution of chemical elements Ca, Mg, Na, K, Si, HCO₃, CO₃, Cl, and SO₄. It also includes pH, and electrical conductivity (EC). Gibbs diagrams were also constructed to identify the processes that are responsible in controlling the water chemistry. Factor analysis extracted for four factors consisting of F1 (with high loading factor of Cl, EC, Mg and Na), F2 (with high loading factor of K, (HCO₃+CO₃) and Ca), F3 (with high loading factor of pH and Si) and F4 (with high loading factor of SO₄). The varifactors obtained from Factor analysis indicated that the parameters responsible for groundwater quality variations are mainly related to groundwater-rock interaction (particularly weathering of silicate minerals), agriculture and anthropogenic sources. With HC analysis the water samples have been classified into 4 clusters. Cluster I (13 wells) and cluster II (8 wells) have shown moderate salinity. However, cluster IV (4 wells) had the lowest concentrations of ions and classified as fresh water. Cluster III (5 wells) shows mid salinity between (I and II) and IV clusters. The distribution of these groundwater types and their quality has been found to be an in direct relation with the host rocks of the area. The results showed that the method was comprehensive and efficient in analyzing the dynamics of water quality.

American Journal of Water Resources. 2014, 2(3), 63-70. DOI: 10.12691/ajwr-2-3-2
Pub. Date: July 24, 2014

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Effects of Watershed Land Use Data on HSPF Water Quality in the Upper Opequon Watershed in northern Virginia, USA

by Isaac A. Alukwe and Theo Dillaha

Original Research

Land use data source can contribute to errors in watershed modeling. This paper evaluated the effects of using site-specific versus county-level aggregated land use data on Hydrologic Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF) simulated contaminant losses. Site-specific land use was derived from the local watershed land use inventory while aggregated land use was derived from county-level data (percentage of county land in various land use categories and sub-categories). County level data are useful when modeling large watersheds such as the Chesapeake Bay Watershed when collection and use of site-specific data may be cost prohibitive. The study site was the 14,941 ha predominately rural Upper Opequon Watershed in northern Virginia, USA. Percentage relative errors in model output were calculated and compared using the two land use data sources. Results showed that use of aggregated land use data resulted in 13, 3 and 4 percent higher simulated sediment, and total nitrogen and phosphorus losses, respectively due to overestimated cropland area. The higher contaminant losses would suggest the need for more management measures to meet water quality goals. This study suggests that while the use of county-level aggregated land use data may be appropriate for developing basin scale pollutant reduction goals such as those in total maximum daily load (TMDL) plans, it should be used with extreme caution for watershed planning and implementation activities on smaller watersheds that may mandate site-specific changes in land management and costs for landowners. For smaller watersheds, TMDLs and their watershed implementation plans should utilize local site-specific spatial data that accurately reflects watershed conditions. This will help target resources where they are most needed and maintain credibility with local stakeholders while improving the accuracy of the developed pollution reduction plans.

American Journal of Water Resources. 2014, 2(3), 54-62. DOI: 10.12691/ajwr-2-3-1
Pub. Date: July 20, 2014

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